Tying Loose Ends
by Subtlyarranged
Summary: Love and family saves lives and can reach beyond the limits of death itself. They didn't survive this long to never see their families again... so the only thing that is left is to fight for it. One-shot.


Ironhide watched as Annabelle waited for him to arrive home with her father. She was sitting on the bay window that faced the long country road, anticipation clear on her features. He had been gone the past week. Little did she know that he wasn't coming back.

He wanted to reach out her her, to hold her in his servo one last time, but when he tried, the image in front of him rippled.

He didn't miss how her smile faltered when she saw Will coming back in a military-issued Jeep, concern immediately replacing the happiness in her bright blue eyes. That kind of concern didn't belong on one of her age, and Ironhide wished that death wasn't this painful. It was cruel to have his consciousness active and seeing what was happening in a world without him.  
>Annabelle ran to the doors at the front of her house, Sarah following behind her. The five-year-old was oblivious to her mother's sadness. Ironhide heard the phone call, and saw Sarah control and hide her sobs from the Annabelle when she had been watching the television.<p>

Ironhide controlled his urge to crush the image. He wasn't supposed to leave behind so much pain and emptiness. He was part of the family, and then he was viciously ripped away when Sentinel betrayed the Autobots.

When he said "what have you done?" he knew there were a million and one answers to that question. And the only ones that terrified him were the ones that had involved the little girl.

Annabelle ran out to her father, who immediately picked her up. Ironhide could predict the first words that would come out of her mouth.

"Daddy, where's 'Hide?" Why did he have to know that little girl so well and love her so much? She was precious and fragile and Ironhide had vowed to protect her. Whether it be from the war or the world. He never considered that his death would cut the deepest wound.

"'Hide isn't coming home, sweetheart," He approved of Will's truthfulness. Annabelle should know what happened to her playmate and guardian. A clean break was always best. Admittedly, it was harsh, but it was better than keeping up false hope.

"Why not?" Annabelle's lip started to quiver, and Ironhide wanted nothing more to reassure her that it was okay. Everything was okay.

But hat was a lie and Ironhide knew it. Annabelle Lennox was hurting. Absolutely nothing was okay.

When her father didn't answer, she was forced to make her own assumptions. "Did I do something wrong? Is he mad at me?"

"_No!_" Ironhide roared. He wasn't mad at her. He could never be mad at her. He didn't want to have her think that.

He was killed. That wasn't her fault. He just died.

"No, sweetie. He loves you. He isn't mad at you, Ann. He loves you _so_ much," her father reassured her. His voice had broken and there were tears collecting in his eyes. "He loves you so, so, so much."

The image faded away, the small family huddling in sorrow, a mech replacing them.

Ironhide gathered his emotions and nodded at him. "Primus."

"That child loves you with her entirety," he commented. Ironhide's gaze shifted past him as he processed the precious memories he had with Annabelle.

"Sentinel hurt everyone," he snarled eventually. The Prime had acted selfishly to preserve his quickly fading power.

Ironhide caught himself, and looked at Primus. "I forgot you were big on forgiveness."

"Only for those who deserve it. You are correct about Sentinel. He has caused unnecessary pain."

"Annabelle didn't deserve _any_ of this." Not the war, not her father being dragged off to fight aliens, and not the pain that he had seen in her eyes only a moment before.

"Do you know how resurrections occur?" Sentinel inquired, starting to walk across the vast white plains.

"Optimus can't shove the Matrix into my spark chamber. I rusted," Ironhide knew what the creator was implying, and he was crushing his own hope. He had to accept that he would never see Annabelle again. He followed behind Primus, his optics focusing on the horizon.

"The Matrix is not the only way. I have preventative way to keep unfortunate deaths from occurring. I created the Primes to lead Cybertron, a great power to have. I expected some, like Sentinel, to abuse this and inflict wounds that some cannot heal from. You see, to return, there must be incredible pain. Not physical pain. Like you've always said-"

"Parts can be replaced," Ironhide finished for him.

"Yes, exactly. Physical pain will not cause someone to return. It is the emotional turmoil that triggers it."

"You're saying that Annabelle's pain is _good_?" Ironhide snarled, and the creator waited for him to calm down.

"I spoke incorrectly, I apologize," Primus said. "Annabelle is a very special organic, and she lost a very special guardian. Being that the aftermath of your death was terrible and that it was not your time to go, I am returning you back to where you are truly needed."

Ironhide started to fade away, and he stared at himself, stunned. "Goodbye, Ironhide. The universe needs Cybertronians like you. I hope to never see you again."

The weapons master disappeared from the Nothingness.

* * *

><p>Optimus Prime had seen that exact look before. The same wide eyes, the same seriousness that didn't belong there. The humans underestimated their younger counterparts, even though even Optimus could tell that she knew much and understood more.<p>

He saw the innocence being washed away as reality crushed Annabelle, taunting her and mocking her when she just couldn't quite grasp that her guardian was gone forever.

That look haunted him. It was so foreign and unknown that he was careful around it. You never knew when something was going to jump out at you, shocking you with its abnormalities that were usually terrifying.

"Where should 'Hide go?" Sarah asked gently. What was to be done with the remains was Annabelle's decision. It was a tribute to lost life and lost innocence.

"Stars," she mumbled quietly, not making eye contact with anyone. The reasoning behind it was lost on Optimus, but he knew it was a careful, well thought out decision. It was an added item to the growing list that five-year-olds shouldn't experience but what Annabelle had to deal with in the past two weeks.

The Director of National Intelligence immediately started to protest, but was cut off by the looks that the Autobots were giving her. Charlotte Mearing nodded. They would succumb to Annabelle's request. It was the last thing they could do that would acknowledge that Ironhide was _her_ fallen guardian. The weapons master didn't belong to anyone more than he did to Annabelle.

* * *

><p>Annabelle's red ball managed to roll into the middle of the back yard, which was obscured by their large house. She dragged her feet through grass that needed to be mowed. Most household chores had been abandoned in preparation for Ironhide's funeral. Ratchet had said that bringing him back would be impossible, the chemical rusted his very spark.<p>

They were going to shoot him off into the stars, everything but the one remaining piece that had somehow been unaffected.

The trigger to one of his guns was laying in a jar on the top of Annabelle's bookshelf, so that a part of him would always be with her.

Annabelle had heard the adults talking about her. About how she didn't understand what had happened to Ironhide, or what the consequences of it were. Her father yelled at them, and told them that she knew exactly what was going on. If Ironhide had been there, she knew that he would be yelling right alongside him.

This was finally hammered home when Annabelle saw what had been left of her over-sized black guardian. She didn't burst into tears, but just let them fall as she held her father's hand, and finally she couldn't bear the sight any longer. She turned into him, her father's clothing blinding her.

Remembering everything, knowing that he was _gone_, Annabelle dropped onto the ground and laid there as she stared up at the sky. She had run out of tears to cry, and deep down, she knew that Ironhide wouldn't want her to be doing that.  
>A large shadow passed over her without her noticing. The only thing that triggered a reaction were blue optics shining out of a black face that was high above her.<p>

The five-year-old had attached herself to his right leg in a flash. "We thought you were dead, 'Hide," she informed him.

"I'm not anymore," there was a gentleness in his tone that was only heard by Annabelle and occasionally the two other members of the Lennox family.

"I love you, 'Hide," she whispered.

Ironhide closed his optics, trying to not let the sudden Energon tears fall. "I love you, too, Annabelle," he managed to choke out. The happiness that was emitting from Annabelle's small body was unmistakable, and his emotions were starting to overpower him.

"So you're back from the dead and you're crying," Will said from the window that was closest to Ironhide's head.

The weapon's master transformed, Annabelle ending up in the driver's seat. Alternates were the ultimate poker faces. "No. Of course not."

"Man, 'Hide. I'd never peg you to be a crybaby," he laughed. He had watched the whole thing unfold from the ridiculous number of windows in their house.

"Speak of this again and you won't be able to speak any more atrocious accusations," he threatened. Will knew that it was as close to admittance as he could get.

"I think we should take a family drive to base," Will suggested. "Looks like we have some good news to deliver."  
>Once the Lennox family had gathered and Sarah was beyond convinced that Ironhide was real, they took the familiar drive back to base.<p>

Will and Sarah were murmuring softly, Annabelle humming in the back seat as she looked out the window.

Half listening in contentment, Ironhide relaxed, relief flooding over him.

Optimus had always been right. This is their home.


End file.
